Governance Conference 2022 - Governing in the interest of students

Who was this conference for?

All Chairs, governors, senior staff and governance professionals were invited to attend. Now in its fifth year, this was the must-attend and only annual event on HE governance which brings together the full range of perspectives.

Supporting Student Governors and Working with SU’s 

The role of student governor can present many challenges in being fully integrated into the board in a short timeframe, with the same responsibilities as other members of the board while often balancing this with being an elected officer in the students’ union. The board also has a responsibility under the Education Act 1994 to ensure that the students’ union operates in a fair and democratic manner. There is a need to ensure that a healthy relationship underpins this to support good governance arrangements between separate organisations going beyond the role of the Student Governors.

Good Relations on Campus to Support Free Speech 

Universities have a long track record of championing free speech, rigorous debate and academic freedom. This has come under greater scrutiny in recent years, as the obligations around protecting and upholding freedom of speech and fostering good relations between different groups can sometimes seem to compete. However, both are core to the values and success of the higher education sector, and integral to the activity of governing bodies.

Keynote from Rob Behrens: Chairing a Board - working in partnership

Governing bodies and senior executive teams are currently grappling with data, metrics and evidence in profusion. While the OfS plans and implements a step change in what it measures for ongoing registration in relation to student outcomes, Universities UK publishes a paper on assessing quality and the REF results and evaluations are announced.  Institutions continue to provide data to HESA who aspire to “enhancing the competitive strength of the sector”.

What do governing bodies really need to inform and influence decision making? How can they make sense of  performance and conformance, in relation to the strategy, risk and external assurance for which the governing body has oversight?

Keynote Conversation: Insights from Advance HE Surveys and Research

Dan Tinkler, Advance HE’s Governance Development Manager was in conversation with Jonathan Neves, Advance HE’s Head of Business Intelligence and Surveys to look at what boards and governance professionals can learn from Advance HE’s sector leading research about the wider student experience. Focusing on findings from the Advance HE-HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey, and also covering the UK Engagement Survey and  Postgraduate Taught and Research Experience Surveys, this session explored key trends and findings about what students at all levels are telling us about their key priorities and challenges. This session provided a chance to ask questions regarding Advance HE’s Surveys and research and help boards consider what information they receive about their students in relation to UK wide findings.  

Speakers:

Chair: Miguel Gonzales-Valdes Tejero, Education Officer, University of Manchester Students' Union

This panel session explored both the role of the Student Governor and the relationship between the Board and the Students' Union. As Boards work to ensure they govern in the interests of students the role of Student Governor is crucial in providing lived student experience, it is important to ensure that Student Governors are equipped are empowered to succeed. Under the Education Act 1994 the board of the institution has a statutory requirement to ensure that the Students' Union “operates in a fair and democratic manner and is accountable for it’s finances”, however it is vital to understand what this looks like as good practice and how to build a relationship at Board to Board level where partnership develops between both organisations to deliver high quality student outcomes.

This panel was chaired by a student member of Advance HE’s Governance Strategic Advisory Group and brought together a range of sector expertise including recent student governors and elected SU officers, a Students' Union CEO and University leadership to challenge how best to support and develop the role of the Student Governor and working with the Students' Union.

Chair: Aaron Porter

This panel session explored the practical ways that Boards can assure freedom of speech and good campus relations in the context of Advance HE, UUK and GuildHE’s work to develop a statement of intent. With the issue very much in the eye of government and the press, and the Freedom of Speech Bill looming, what are the sensible steps governing bodies can take to demonstrate action on this matter, with appropriate evidence from governance and assurance systems and practice? Our panel brought together the legal, practical and policy perspectives on the topic to help navigate the landscape and provide assurance to, and for, all.

Higher education institutions find themselves in the middle of a complex and fast moving political and economic environment which is impacting strategic decision and the student experience.  

Inflation, cost of living increases, rising energy costs, impeding industrial action, regulatory change, the rapidly diminishing value of the undergraduate tuition fee and dependencies upon international students- just some of the pressures facing Higher Education institutions as we emerge from a period of unparalleled political turmoil.

This was an interactive session that provided an opportunity for discussion between delegates and speakers focusing on the role that Boards and their systems of governance need to fulfil.